


No Room at the Inn

by DreamingStill



Category: Shetland (TV), Shetland - Ann Cleeves
Genre: Case Fic, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26664697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingStill/pseuds/DreamingStill
Summary: When a case takes Jimmy and Tosh to Norway a mix-up with their room booking means they end up sharing a bed and their relationship develops into something more.
Relationships: Alison McIntosh/Jimmy Perez
Comments: 13
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this was meant to be a short 1-2k word oneshot but it kind of just kept going and turned into a 10k fic instead! XD  
> I also created an aesthetic/moodboard to go with this fic which you can see below.  
> This is unbeta’d so forgive any mistakes. Enjoy!

It was an overcast Monday morning, the sun struggling to break through the layer of grey clouds, and Jimmy Perez stood in his kitchen finishing his breakfast of coffee and toast.

He was staring out the window watching the waves churn and break on the shore, not thinking of much, when his phone rang.

“Billy?” he answered.

“Boss, a body’s been found up on Fethaland beach. Tosh and Sandy are already heading up there.”

“Thanks, Billy. I’m on my way.”

Downing the coffee and shoving the toast into his mouth Jimmy threw on his coat and grabbed his keys. He doubled back to grab an apple from the counter, knowing it was going to be a long drive there and back.

Sure enough, it took him the best part of an hour to reach the beach.

Tosh, on seeing his approach, made her way from the cordoned area towards his car.

“Tosh, what’ve we got?” he asked stepping out and fixing his coat against the strong breeze coming up of the shore. So much for fine summer weather.

“The body is a young male, looks to be in his mid to late twenties. No ID on him. He was found by a dog walker ‘bout two hours ago. Sandy’s speaking to her now.”

“Is Cora here?”

“Aye, she arrived same time I did.”

“Good,” he said stepping under the police tape and making his way over to the body.

“What can you tell me, Cora?”

“Good morning to you too,” Cora remarked dryly, not looking up from the body.

The corners of Jimmy’s lips twitched upwards. “Sorry. Good morning, Cora. What can you tell me about my victim?”

“ _Your_ victim, as you put it, was definitely murdered,” she said, eyeing him shrewdly.

Internally Jimmy grimaced, he’d walked right into that one, but he raised his eyebrows questioningly at the second half of her sentence.

Cora elaborated, “Massive blunt force trauma to the back of the head, possibly more than one blow, no blood spatter anywhere here and very little blood pooling from the wound so unless your victim’s a zombie he didn’t walk himself here.”

“Right, point taken. So, I take it there’d be a lot of blood wherever he was murdered?”

“That would be the correct assumption, yes.”

A huff of laughter escaped Jimmy.

“Oh, and before you ask, he’s been dead between eight and ten hours.”

“So, between eleven and one last night. Thanks, Cora.”

Cora nodded and returned her attention to the body.

Jimmy stepped away and Tosh followed close behind.

“Are the crime scene photos done?” he asked.

“Yes, all done. Sandy and I did a quick sweep of the area too but there’s nothing to report on that front.”

Jimmy nodded, “Good.” He paused and drew breath as if to say something else, but his next words were cut short by the arrival of the ambulance to take the body to the mortuary once Cora gave them the all-clear.

With the body removed Jimmy spoke briefly with the woman who found the body, just to get the key details form her himself.

After the dog walker had gone, he stood looking around the scene trying to work out where the body had been moved from. Was it brought in a car or van and abandoned at the beach or had it been dragged from somewhere nearby? Was it left in the open on purpose or was it a lack of time?

“Has anyone checked over by the light house?” he asked.

“No, not yet,” Tosh answered.

Jimmy paused for a moment before striding out to the lighthouse in the distance, Tosh and Sandy at his heels.

They could see that there was nothing at the front of the building as they approached, but as they circled around the structure, they came upon the remnants of what used to be a large pool of blood. Someone, presumably the killer, had crudely tried to wash away the blood. The white walls of the building were stained a kind of dark pink from where an attempt to scrub away the blood had been made and the staining on the ground looked like it had had several buckets of water thrown over it.

“That’s definitely a large pool of blood, or was at one point,” Tosh said, eyeing the mess critically.

Jimmy made a noise of agreement before turning to Sandy, “Get this place taped off and search the whole area around here.”

“Boss.”

“Tosh, get the crime scene photos done and then walk from here back to where the body was found.”

Tosh nodded.

“Do you have a spare memory card for the camera?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Good. I’ll take that one and get the photos printed off while you take the new ones.”

Once everything was settled Jimmy made his way back to the station leaving Tosh and Sandy behind to their tasks.

Jimmy spent his time getting the board ready, sticking up pictures and writing all they knew so far about the victim and the case. He was just finished when Tosh and Sandy returned.

A round of tea was made and a packet of biscuits was shared before they began the briefing. They went over the scene at the lighthouse, the area where the body was found, the details of when and how the body was found, as well as by whom.

Jimmy added any new information to the board as the others called it out, like the scuff marks and streaks of blood Tosh had found leading from the lighthouse in the direction of where the body was found.

Halfway through Sandy’s report the phone rang, and Billy disappeared to answer it.

“And that’s how the dog walker found him,” Sandy continued. “She’s local and said she didn’t recognise him,” he finished.

“So, we’re assuming tourist?” Tosh asked.

Before anyone could answer Billy stuck his head around the door and said, “That was Cora, sir. She said the labels on your vic’s clothes are Norwegian.”

“Thanks, Billy,” Jimmy said and turned back to Tosh, “So yes, Tosh. We’re assuming he’s a tourist, a Norwegian tourist.”

After a brief pause said looking at his watch, “Right, let’s get some lunch and will take it from there.”

There were no arguments as the team went to grab some food.

Sometime later, stomachs full, the team regrouped back at the station.

Jimmy paced up and down, thinking.

“Billy, check with the bus drivers, one of them might remember our victim. Then I want you on CCTV. See if you can pick him up on the cameras yesterday, around the usual tourist haunts.”

“Yes sir.”

He continued pacing. “Sandy, take a couple of uniforms and start the door to door of the nearest houses and crofts.”

“Boss.”

“Tosh, you start on the hostels and B&Bs.”

“Sir.”

He stopped and faced the team. “I’m going to catch Rhona up on the state of things. Then I’ll go see if Cora has any other information that she can give us.”

They dispersed, each with their own tasks and did not reconvene again until the evening.

It turned out to be quite an unsuccessful day for all of them.

Billy leaned against the door frame looking despondent, “None of the bus drivers or tour operators recognised ‘im. He could have caught a lift or been hiking up that direction.”

“The door to door turned up nothing either. There were two locals who drove passed that way but they saw nithing. The beach is just too remote,” Sandy added equally dejected.

“Nothing from the hostels and B&Bs so far. But I still have a few left to call to,” Tosh tried to end on a hopeful note but it didn’t quite work

Jimmy sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Right, it’s late so we’ll call it a night. Tomorrow, Tosh I want you and Sandy to finish off the B&Bs. And Billy keep trying on the CCTV.”

There was a chorus of ‘yes sir’ and ‘boss’ and they packed up their things and headed home for the night.

///

The following day Jimmy was in the station going through Cora’s preliminary report which contained nothing they didn’t already know. He doubted the Inverness post-mortem would have anything more to add either.

Slumped in his chair he pinched the bridge of his nose. He was all but ready to give up when his phone rang.

“Yes, Sandy.”

“Hey, boss.”

Jimmy straightened, there was an excited note in Sandy’s voice. This could mean some good news, he thought.

“We found the hostel the victim was stayin’ at. They had a photocopy of his passport. Looks like he’s Eirik Groven, aged twenty-eight, Norwegian. I’ll forward on the rest of the details in a bit. The receptionist said he was here on holiday, alone.”

Jimmy leaned back in his chair a smile breaking out, some success at last. “That’s great, Sandy. Any other details?”

“Tosh is looking now. Just a sec,” he paused.

Jimmy heard Tosh’s muffled voice over the line, “He didn’t leave much. Clothes, a book, toiletries. But nothing else. Looks like he had all his valuables with him.”

“Did you get that sir?”

“Ya, I did. Did the receptionist say anything else?”

“No sir. But we’ll check with the other hostel staff.”

“Right. Good work, both of you.”

He hung up, feeling much better than he had before the call.

The elation didn’t last long though. Now that they had a name the next of kin would have to be notified. He’d have to get on to the local Norwegian police first though.

Jimmy called across the room, “Billy, find me a phone number for the police headquarters in Oslo,”

“Right boss.”

Billy found the number quickly and Sandy had sent on the details Jimmy set about phoning the Norwegian police.

After some initial confusion he was eventually put through to the local branch and notified them of Eirik’s death. The DI he spoke to was very obliging, offering any assistance from their end, as well as offering to call to Eirik’s parents to inform them of his death. It was an offer Jimmy greatly appreciated and accepted as he had not been looking forward to the task.

Sandy and Tosh arrived back to the station a couple of hours later not long after lunch with very little new information.

The slow drip feed of information and advances on the case was starting to get to Jimmy. He prowled up and down the incident room throwing the odd glare at the board as if it was personally holding back information.

Tosh produced a plate of biscuits for everyone and then disappeared to make herself a cup of tea.

Jimmy stopped pacing to grab a biscuit and turned back to the board, glowering. Biscuit gone and no miraculous new insight he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

“Right, we’ve got no leads here,” he said turning and putting his back to the board. “So, we’re going to have to interview family, friends, colleagues, to get some idea as to why he was killed.” Jimmy drummed his fingers against his thigh, pondering. “Billy, I want Tosh and myself on the next flight to Norway.”

“Yes, boss.”

Tosh reappeared a hot mug of tea clasped in both hands, “Did someone say my name?”

Jimmy nodded, “Pack your bags, Tosh. We’re going to Norway.”

“When?” she glanced down at the tea half worried she’d have to throw it down the drain after only one sip.

“There’s a flight leaving this evening,” Billy called over.

“This evening it is then,” Jimmy said turning back to Tosh who looked happier at the prospect of being able to finish her tea.

“I’ll get onto the local police, let them know we’ll be traveling there,” Jimmy added.

Once again, the local police were very obliging and said they’d organise the hotel and would forward on the details to him in a couple of hours.

Tosh was saying goodbye to the others just as he was getting off the phone.

“I’ll see you at the airport later,” he called after her as she left.

He turned to Sandy and Billy, “While we’re away I want the both of you to flesh out the rest of Eirik’s movements on Shetland. I want to know where he went, what he saw and who he spoke to.”

“Yes sir.”

With that Jimmy shut down his pc, grabbed his coat and left to pack is own bag for the trip.

///


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta’d so forgive any mistakes. Enjoy!

The flight to Norway was uneventful, both Jimmy and Tosh had done this journey before and knew their routine.

The flight touched down at six in the evening and by the time they were through security, found a taxi and arrived at the hotel it was close to seven.

It was a nice hotel, stylish but not too upmarket or expensive. All in all, it was one of the better places they had stayed, and Tosh thought they should let the Norwegians do all the hotel booking from now on.

Tosh waited in the lobby while Jimmy went to check them in and get the room keys.

At first all seemed well but as the minutes went by Jimmy remained at the reception desk.

Tosh’s brow furrowed. Something was not right.

She looked across the expanse of the lobby to the desk. Jimmy seemed to have started arguing with the receptionist, gesturing between himself and Tosh. The receptionist looked apologetic but repeatedly shook his head.

Jimmy stared at the receptionist for another moment before letting his shoulders slump. He pushed off the counter which he had been leaning on and made his way over to Tosh.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“It turns out there’s been some glitch with their room booking system and they’re after booking us in a double room.”

The look on Jimmy’s face told her the answer but Tosh asked anyway, “Can’t they change the booking?”

“No. Apparently they’re fully booked, there’s no other room available. There’s some sort of festival, Olaf’s Day or something like that, on at the moment which is why they’re full.” He paused and added sarcastically, “The good news is the room was upgraded so it’s a deluxe suite.”

“Thank goodness for small mercies!” Tosh scoffed.

Jimmy ran a hand down his face, “Bloody Hell. What do you want to do?”

Tosh sighed and pulled out her phone to check the time. “Well, it’s after seven now. How likely are we to find somewhere else, decent, at this time?”

Jimmy grimaced.

“That’s what I thought. Anyway, I’m famished and couldn’t be bothered traipsing around the city looking for somewhere else.” Tosh’s stomach gave a convenient, if rather loud, grumble as if to emphasise her point.

She looked to Jimmy and added with a smirk, “Who knows, maybe the deluxe suite will have a couch and we can toss for it.”

Jimmy gave a small huff of laughter. “Right, I’ll go get our room keys then.”

Tosh watched him as he turned from her. Our room keys. It was so strange to hear him say that. Not _the_ room keys like normal, but _our_ room keys.

Tosh shook her head, those kinds of thoughts would do no one any good, least of all her.

Jimmy return with two keys, “Room 609, top floor.”

Tosh nodded and they made their way over to the lifts. Neither of them spoke on the way up and they studiously avoided looking at one another.

When they reached their room, a polished gold 609 on the timber, Jimmy opened the door and let Tosh in first.

They entered into a large sitting room which led, through an archway, to the bedroom with king size bed.

As they moved through the room, they saw that two doors led off the bedroom, one into a walk-in wardrobe and dressing area and the other to a large bathroom with his and hers sinks.

The sitting room did indeed have a couch; however, it was a two-seater and definitely not long enough for either of them to sleep comfortably on. There was also no way to configure the couch and chairs to make a halfway decent bed.

They stood staring at the bed.

“It’ll be fine. I’ll take this side and you’ll take that side. We’ll be fine,” Tosh said hoping her voice sounded more confident to Jimmy than it did to her own ears.

She was decidedly nervous about the sleeping arrangements, but then again, she wasn’t wholly uncomfortable about it either. It was a large bed and like she’d said they would each take a side so there should be no issue.

Jimmy gave a disbelieving snort in response as Tosh slipped past him and dropped her bag by her side of the bed.

Her next comment was out of her mouth before she could stop it, “Don’t worry, I promise not to steal the duvet.”

Tosh’s droll wit and the slight teasing note in her voice didn’t make Jimmy feel any more at ease with the idea of sharing a bed with her. He wondered if she was starting to enjoy his discomfort a little too much. But when she turned back to him her expression was neutral.

Jimmy gave a cough and asked, “The restaurant is open until eight thirty, will we grab some dinner?”

Tosh’s stomach gave another well timed growl, “Yes, let’s!”

Dinner was a little awkward. All talk of the sleeping arrangements was studiously avoided and only safe topics, like the case and the plan for the following day, were discussed.

The uneasiness became more palpable on the walk back up to the room.

When they got into the room, they both just sort of stood there neither knowing what to say or do.

It was Tosh who broke the silence, “Do you want to use the facilities first, sir?”

Spurred into action by Tosh’s questioning eyes, he said, “Uh, yes. Thanks.”

Tosh nodded and said she would go after him.

Jimmy busied himself fishing his toothbrush and pyjamas from his bag and headed into the bathroom, willing himself to stop being so uptight about the sleeping arrangements.

Yes, he was going to have to share a bed with his sergeant, his admittedly very pretty sergeant. But he was an adult, she was an adult, so surely they could get past the awkwardness. Jimmy managed to talk himself around and by the time he left the sizable bathroom, he was feeling more relaxed.

Upon his return, Tosh who had been curled up on the couch on her phone got up, grabbed her stuff from the bed and took herself into the recently vacated bathroom while Jimmy claimed the now free settee. He flicked idly through the case notes mainly to distract himself but also in the hope of finding new information. He was still reading when Tosh reappeared.

While getting ready Tosh had felt somewhat naked in her pyjama bottoms and a comfortably worn t-shirt. She had wavered over whether to throw on a jumper, but she thought that might seem very pointed and it was also a rather mild night, so she decided against it.

Jimmy, also in pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt, seemed to have made the same decision. He had looked unconcerned walking out of the bathroom, but now from the way he was sitting on the very edge of the couch, she suspected he wasn't any more comfortable with this than she was.

Jimmy eyed Tosh as she exited the bathroom and it struck him, not for the first time, how pretty Tosh looked. Then, afraid he was staring, he turned back to the pages in front of him.

“Any new insights?” Tosh asked, tidying away her clothes and brushing her hair.

“No, nothing.”

When she received no further reply, Tosh shrugged, closed the curtains by the bed and climbed under the sheets, facing away from Jimmy.

Jimmy gave a small sigh, so much for getting past the awkwardness. He closed the file and got up to switched off the main room light. When he got into bed, he deliberately kept his gaze from the bed’s other occupant.

“Goodnight, sir.” Tosh’s voice was surprisingly close as he flicked off his bedside light, sending the room into darkness.

“Night, Tosh.”

They each drifted off to sleep more easily and quickly than either of them had thought they would. Despite the situation they found themselves in they were not so uncomfortable in each other’s presence as to keep them awake until the small hours.

Tosh’s night however was not as restful as she would have liked. An innocuous dream turned slowly but unavoidably dark.

At first, she wandered the streets of Lerwick in search of a suspect but when she emerged from a narrow side alley Lerwick had changed to Glasgow and she was no longer chasing the suspect, he was chasing her. She ran but the suspect, a dark menacing figure, appeared around every corner. No matter how far she went or where she turned the looming presence always found her. Inevitably he caught her, grabbing her wrist and holding fast. She struggled with all her might, but it was no use as all her strength seemed to have drained way. No matter how hard she punched or kicked nothing worked. Terrified, she gazed up at the dark figure, his face hidden in shadow, knowing what would happen next.

But nothing happened, for at last some part of her conscious mind realised it was a dream and pulled her from it. She woke with a start, frightened, eyes searching the dark for her attacker, but he was not there.

Still half asleep she slowly became aware that a pair of strong arms were wrapped around her, holding her tight. She should feel scared, her lethargic mind told her, but she didn’t. She didn’t know who was holding her or maybe it was part of her dream, a figment of her imagination. It did not matter. She was safe in these arms, protected. Her attacker could not harm her here.

Relaxing into the embrace Tosh drifted back into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

///


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta’d so forgive any mistakes. Enjoy!

Consciousness came slowly to Jimmy, a slowly steady wakefulness. He was so comfortable that he almost went back to sleep. The alarm hadn’t gone off yet so he could get a few more minutes rest. But gradually as his senses returned, he became aware that something was different. He wasn’t in his own bed and there was someone else in the bed too, someone he was cradling. Drowsily, he buried his face into dark silky hair. He was warm and comfortable and initially he wasn’t too concern who his female companion was. Finally, he opened his heavy eyelids. It was morning and the sun was shining pleasantly through a gap in the curtains. But the more awake he became the more concerned he became. His was in hotel in Norway on a case with Tosh. Oh. Oh no.

Jimmy blinked, the last remnants of relaxed sleep leaving him rapidly. Tosh. The woman he was holding was Tosh.

Embarrassment and shame flooded through him, that he would compromise himself or Tosh like this. It had not been a conscious action but still it was not proper. Jimmy extricated himself quickly, yet carefully, from around Tosh. She hardly moved.

He stood at the edge of the bed for a moment and watched her sleep, a part of him missing the feeling of her next to him. Then shook himself. This would not do. He could not start thinking of Tosh in that way.

Still trying to rid himself of the memory of cradling Tosh he went for a shower.

Tosh woke to the hum of a shower. It took her a few moments to remember where she was and why she could hear the shower. She rolled onto her back and slowly memories of the case, Norway, and the mix-up with the room came back to her.

As she lay there the recollection of her dream danced around the edges of her consciousness. She knew she had had a bad dream that night, but she couldn’t remember anything about it, only its darkness and the fear which had plagued her. Then she remembered a feeling of protection and security but not why.

The sound of the shower turning off roused her from her thoughts and she pulled herself from the sanctuary of the warm duvet and went to get ready for the day.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Jimmy was doing all he could not to think of earlier that morning and Tosh was trying to remember her dream.

A constable, DC Olav Thune, from the local police force met the in the hotel lobby after breakfast and brought them to the station.

Tosh wondered if Jimmy would bring up the room situation with Olav, but he didn’t say anything. So Tosh took her cue from him and remained silent on the matter as well.

Olav was a chatty, good natured person, and he seemed entirely too bubbly to be in the police force. Tosh rather thought he would have been better off working with children. He had that wide-eyed eternal enthusiasm that would have suited working with children.

Once at the station they met with a DI Heidi Melland who spoke to them about Eirik and the case.

“His parents speak good English as do his colleagues, the only issue you may have is with his friends. I can send Olav with you to translate if needed?”

“That would be much appreciated,” Jimmy replied.

With that sorted the trio set off to Eirik’s parents’ house. Olav talked all the way there about everything and anything; he spoke about the area, the festival, as well as asking them about Shetland. At the beginning Jimmy had answered him with interest but as the journey continued, he became more and more lost in thoughts of that morning. His answers became shorter and more monosyllabic and soon Tosh had to take over answering.

She noticed Jimmy’s growing distant mood and did her best to cover for him. Maybe he hadn’t slept well, she thought. She had slept well, except for her dream. She felt there was something she should remember, something about that dream or just after it, but for the life of her she couldn’t.

Tosh didn’t have long to dwell on what she could or could not remember as they had arrived at Eirik’s parents house.

The trio were welcomed into the sitting room, a small but cosy room with light furnishings, and Olav introduced them.

Mr and Mrs Groven were understandably upset, grieving the loss of their only child, but frustratingly they provided no useful information. No, he had no enemies. Yes, everyone like him. No, there were no problems at work that they knew of and so on.

With the list of question exhausted they bid the older couple farewell and left to go to Eirik’s place of work in the centre of town, making a quick stop for lunch on the go.

The office building was a tall modern structure with a reflective glass front. Olav led the way across an open courtyard which was dotted with large leafy trees and a number of benches, followed by Jimmy and Tosh bringing up the rear.

Jimmy paused at the front door and held it open for Tosh. As she passed him in, she caught a whiff of his cologne. The smell triggered a memory from the previous night. A recollection of arms wrapped around her, keeping her safe. How nice it felt. It had been a dream, hadn’t it? No, it had been real. The darkness of the dream and the safety of those strong arms wrapped around her. Jimmy’s arms.

Heat flooded Tosh’s body, and she knew her cheeks had gone bright red. Relieved she had opportunely let her hair loose that morning she let it fall forward to hide her blush and she muttered her thanks. As they made their way through the building, she was grateful that she was walking in front of Jimmy and that he couldn’t see her face. Thankfully, by the third floor she had calmed enough that the blush had faded.

Olav introduced them to Eirik’s co-workers, a team of eight people, and they set up for the interviews in a small disused office space.

Eirik’s work colleagues seemed to be leading to the same dead end that his parents had, until they spoke with Anette, a close friend as well as co-worker, who provided them with some interesting information.

Anette shifted uneasily in the chair; her eyes red rimmed from tears. “He’s been-” she began but cut short, a new set of tears ready to fall.

“It’s ok,” Jimmy reassured her. “Take your as long as you need.”

She nodded and started again. “He had been having some trouble with an ex-girlfriend, Linn. The only reason I know is because she started hassling me, thinking me and Eirik were going out. We’re not, we are …. em, I mean, we were friends, good friends but there was never anything more than that.”

“Go on.”

“She, Linn, wanted to get back with him, but he didn’t want to. I think she had started getting too possessive. Anyway, after he broke it off with her, she started sending him messages, texts, and emails. Phone calls too.”

“Was this still happening when he went on holidays?”

“I think so. He kept his travel plans very quiet and discreet just in case.”

“Do you have any contact details for this Linn? A last name?”

“No, sorry. When she started calling me the number was always blocked. And I never asked Eirik what her full name was. Her details should be on Eirik’s phone or laptop.”

“Unfortunately, both of those are missing,” Tosh added.

“Oh. Maybe his parents might know?”

“We’ll check,” Jimmy stood extending his hand to Anette. “Thanks for your time, Anette. You’ve been very helpful.”

“Sorry I couldn’t give you more details,” she apologised but Jimmy waved it off.

They left the office in higher spirits than when they arrived.

Their interviews had taken up most of the day and by the time Olav had dropped them back at the hotel both Jimmy and Tosh were ravenous and made a beeline for dinner.

Over the meal they discussed the plan for the following day. They would visit the Groven’s again and ask about Linn and then speak to some of Eirik’s closest friends.

Throughout the conversation Jimmy found his thoughts drifting from the case to the woman who sat opposite him. Tosh was smart, intelligent, quick witted and would certainly rise far through the ranks if she would only believe more in herself. She was a friend, a colleague, someone he wanted to keep safe, but the memory of that morning kept resurfacing. The feel of her in his arms, the warmth of her body pressed against his. He knew he shouldn’t, but he wanted to feel that again. He would do his best to ignore those feelings, to quash any such sentiment. It was nothing but a passing fancy, a desire brought on by pure chance and circumstance. It would pass, he would make sure of it.

Tosh likewise was struggling with her thoughts. Every time she looked at Jimmy her mind and body recalled the hazy memory of the night before. Every time Jimmy gestured or moved his arms she could feel the ghostly memory of him curled around her, her back pressed into his chest and his arms wrapped around her. It was all she could do not to stare and go bright red. It was a passing desire, she told herself. The dream had unnerved her and in her dream addled state she had sought and found comfort, security, in his arms. This flight of fancy would pass, it had to.

Though neither knew of the other’s inner torment they were both very glad when dinner was finished, and they made their way back to their room.

Jimmy went straight to the table and once again busied himself going through the notes from the day.

“I’m going to go for a shower,” Tosh managed around a yawn. “And then go straight to bed, I’m wacked.”

“Sure, no problem,” he replied with a nod and continued to look over the case notes.

After Tosh had washed in the bathroom and stripped down to her pyjamas, she pried the covers away from the mattress and seeing Jimmy unmoved since she left him, called across the room, “It wouldn’t hurt for you to get some sleep, either.”

Jimmy glanced up at her and gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile but didn’t say anything else. Tosh lay on her side, facing the door with her back to Jimmy like the previous night, and before long she grew comfortable, her shoulders loosening, and her breathing growing slow and steady.

Tosh was not asleep though; while her body was relaxed her mind was wide awake, churning with thoughts. Thoughts about Jimmy, about how very soon he would be sleeping just a few feet away from her in the same bed, about whether or not they’d end up curling up together in their sleep again.

Eventually she heard him get up from the table, switch off the main light, and toe off his shoes. The rustle of clothes followed as he pulled off his jumper and made his way to the bathroom. She could see the light, a narrow yellow strip beneath the closed bathroom door and still her mind whirled. She squeezed her eyes shut and willed herself to go to sleep. She was beginning to relax when Jimmy exited the bathroom and moved to his side of the bed. She felt the bed dip as he climbed in and then the room went dark as he turned off the bedside lamp. In the quiet darkness, her mind finally quietened enough for her to fall asleep.

It was still night-time when Jimmy roused, he opened his eyes onto a darkness that was more a shadowy greyness thanks to the light, which never really left this time of year, creeping past the edges of the curtains. His muddled, still half-asleep mind struggled to determine what it was that had pulled him from the depths of sleep.

As the fog of sleep began to lift, he became aware of the weight of the arm resting across his abdomen, and with this revelation all remnants of sleep vanished.

It wasn’t only an arm. The entire length of Tosh’s warm body was stretched out alongside him, her head resting on his shoulder, and he could feel her soft deep breaths gently tickling his neck.

Jimmy froze, unsure of what to do next now that they had again ended up in such a position. A part of him wanted to stay right where he was, go back to sleep and pretend he’d never woken. But he couldn’t do that to Tosh. Yes, she was the one who was curled around him, but he could prevent the embarrassment she would surely feel if and when she woke to find herself in such a position with her boss.

However, disentangling himself from the embrace was easier said than done. He was very reticent about trying to push Tosh off him and any attempt to slide further away would more than likely see him landing in a heap on the floor as he was already at the edge of the mattress.

As he mulled over his options the possibility of going back to sleep, warm and comfortable as he was, and just letting the situation resolve itself became more and more appealing. No, he berated himself. He couldn’t do that; he would have to get up. Maybe go to the bathroom, that at least would be a reasonable excuse if she woke up.

His train of thought was derailed as the comfort and warmth, the closeness and intimacy of the situation pulled at him and sleep claimed him once more.

///


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta’d so forgive any mistakes. Enjoy!

Tosh woke before the alarm the following morning. She awoke to the sound of a steady heartbeat under her right ear. The sound was soothing and pulled her gently from sleep. It was some moments before she was fully aware of how she was lying curled into Jimmy’s side and her head on his chest. She watched lazily as her arm which lay over his abdomen rose and fell with his breaths. Tosh’s fingers rested over a patch of bare skin at his hips, revealed from where his pyjama top had bunched up a little. She let her fingers gently caress the soft skin, half tempted to let her hand move in a southerly direction. But she didn’t. She halted her fingers journey and simply lay there in a state of contradictory peace and turmoil.

She wanted to stay like this, in this moment forever and yet she was terrified may what that meant, of her changing feelings for Jimmy. Jimmy. Her boss, her colleague, her friend. And now something entirely more complicated.

Tosh, as she listened to his heartbeat, came to the realisation that she was falling for Jimmy Perez. As foolish and as absurd as that was, she knew it to be true. She doubted he would ever feel the same and that realisation caused such an aching sadness it felt like her heart was breaking. She was mourning the loss of their relationship before it had even begun.

Her thoughts growing ever darker and more morose, Tosh got up. She hated leaving the embrace, but she could not stay there forever and the last thing she wanted was for Jimmy to wake up and find her wrapped around him.

By the time she was finished in the bathroom Jimmy was up and waiting for his turn.

Tosh did her best to put all romantic thoughts of Jimmy out of her mind and threw herself into work.

Jimmy likewise was struggling with his thoughts and feelings, with the realisation of his growing affection for Tosh. It was almost a relief to wake up in bed alone and find that Tosh was already up.

Leaning over the bathroom sink he wondered if they had still been curled up together. What had she thought? Her good morning had been cheerful, but then again, she could have been trying to cover up her embarrassment.

Jimmy shook his head. This would not do. He had to focus on the case. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his shoulders and did his best to suppress all non-work-related feelings. It was going to be a long day.

Olav met them again in the lobby and they headed straight for the Groven’s to ask about Linn.

“Her name is Linn Okland,” Mrs Groven said. “We had hoped at one point that she and Eiri might get engaged but…. never mind you don’t want to know about that.”

“So, it was a serious relationship?” Jimmy asked.

Mrs Groven nodded, “Yes, for a time. But it finished very quickly in the end. Eiri didn’t talk much about it.”

“Do you think she had anything to with Eirik’s death?” Mr Groven asked.

“At the moment we’d just like to speak to her,” Jimmy said, avoiding addressing the question directly. “Do you have a photo of her?”

“Yes,” Mrs Groven got up and opened a draw in one of the side tables. She took out a photo album and after flicking through a few pages, she took out a photo and handed it to Jimmy.

“Thank you. We’ll get a copy made and get this back to you as quick as we can.”

She waved the statement away, “Take as long as you need. Just find out what happened to my Eiri.” Her voice broke slightly at ‘my Eiri.’

Jimmy gave her a reassuring smile, empathising with her grief, “We will.”

Their business concluded the trio left and headed to north to the outskirts of the city to meet up and speak with three of Eirik’s closest friends. On the way Olav called the station and asked them to find an address for Linn.

The Norwegian’s had done background checks on the three friends and had arranged to meet them in a café, staggering the interviews every half an hour.

The café was a new trendy sort of place, with mismatched furniture and lots of colour.

“Ooh, I like this place,” Tosh gushed, “It has lots of energy.”

Jimmy looked unconvinced, finding himself missing the more subdued but homely nature of Shetland’s cafés. “It’s a bit much, all this colour,” he gestured around the room.

Tosh gave a small laugh, “You’re just old fashioned,” she teased.

Jimmy had no response and merely grumbled, his cheeks going a light shade of pink.

A round of coffees and teas were ordered before the interviewees arrived and the trio settled in for the next couple of hours

They spoke to each of the friends in turn. Unfortunately, none of them provide much new information, but they did give the three detectives a better picture of Eirik and Linn’s relationship.

They had met in a bar and it had been love, or rather lust, at first sight. A whirlwind romance blossomed from that first meeting which grew into a very intense and passionate relationship. But what was so quick to develop had faded just as fast for Eirik, but apparently not Linn. Each of the friends knew, to differing degrees, that Linn had been pestering Eirik but none of them had realised how bad it had actually been or how far she who go to get him back.

It was during the final interview that Olav received a phone call from one of his colleagues with Linn’s address and once the last interview was concluded they headed straight to Linn’s apartment.

Olav knocked loudly at the front door several times and called in through the letter box but there was no answer.

Tosh made her way over to the windows and looked in but again there was no sign of anyone. “The place looks empty,” she said returning to the others.

They were just about to leave when a next-door neighbour, an older gentleman, who had just returned from shopping hailed them over. 

“If you’re looking for Ms. Okland she’s had gone on holiday,” he said in Norwegian.

“When did she leave?” Olav asked.

“Oh, a few days ago now. Last Monday or Tuesday,” replied the neighbour.

“Do you know where she went?”

The neighbour shook his head, “No, sorry.”

Olav thanked the neighbour and filled Jimmy and Tosh in.

“I think we can all guess where she’s gone on holiday,” Jimmy said and the other two nodded in agreement.

Back in the car Jimmy took his own picture of the photograph Mrs Groven had given him and sent it on to Sandy. Then phoned his DC and asked him and Billy to check for any Linn Okland traveling in and out of Shetland from Norway.

They finished up in the early evening and Olav brought them back to the police station to copy the photo of Linn.

Olav reassured them he’d get the photo back to the Groven’s the next day and he set about trying to book Jimmy and Tosh flights home while they spoke with DI Melland.

Just as they were leaving the building, Olav called Jimmy aside. Tosh waited patiently at the door for them to finish.

When Jimmy returned to her, he had an exasperated look. “All flights tonight and tomorrow morning are fully booked. We’ll have to get a flight in the afternoon.”

Tosh nearly laughed; this really was not their trip. “Oh good, I’ll get to have a lie-in in the morning,” she said dryly.

“This is not a holiday, Tosh,” he warned mildly.

“Call it compensation for the room mix-up.”

Jimmy snorted. 

Dinner that evening was more relaxed. Perhaps the prospect of it being the last night and going home the following day, the relaxed schedule the next morning, the breakthrough in the case. Whatever it was they were both conversed more easily that night.

Their night-time routine too was more effortless, Jimmy looked over his notes while Tosh was in the bathroom, then he took his turn. They settled into bed, each on their own side, and sleep claimed them both quickly.

When Tosh woke in the middle of the night, it was to a warm, comforting feeling at her shoulder that she didn’t quite understand. At first it had seemed so natural that she hadn’t paid it any mind, and then as her awareness grew, she began to wonder what it was.

With a slow and delicate twist of her neck she turned to see Jimmy at her back, sleeping. He had moved from his side of the bed to hers in his sleep. She vaguely wondered how long it would be before he moved to wrap an arm around. She smiled to herself, liking the idea, and drifted back to sleep.

She awoke again just as dawn was breaking to find that Jimmy had indeed curled around her in his sleep. It felt right, like this was how it was always meant to be. She would miss it, this feeling, this comfort, when they got back home. She allowed herself to doze off again without making any attempt to move.

When Jimmy awoke it was not to the same peaceful awakening that Tosh had had. He didn’t know whether it was real or just a dream, but he felt Tosh falling. Falling off the edge of the bed. Or at least that’s what he thought was happening. Before he knew it, his hands were around Tosh’s waist and he was pulling her backwards against himself.

Startled, Tosh jerked awake and turned her head to look at Jimmy who was quite as shocked as her.

“Jimmy?” she questioned, his first name slipping easily from her lips as if she had always called him that.

“You were falling off,” Jimmy blurted out, his brow furrowed and expressions of embarrassment and concern warring on his face.

As Tosh looked up at him, she gave a little smile. He had wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulled her flush against him and wasn’t letting go, all because he thought she was going to fall out of bed? No, she thought, he cared about her, and as more than just a friend or colleague.

Going to continue, Jimmy opened his mouth again to apologise, but before he could do that, Tosh’s lips were over his own.

Tosh didn’t know what took over her, where the courage to lean in and kiss him came from. Maybe it was the way he had looked at her, his blue eyes wide with concern for her safety, shock over what he’d done, and just a little embarrassment. Or perhaps him pulling her flush against him. Either way it had been the perfect excuse to do what had been occupying her mind more and more the last couple of days.

Jimmy didn’t think twice about returning the gesture. His hands tighten around Tosh’s waist whilst her hands roamed over his chest, then curled round his shoulders and finally buried themselves in his hair. Tosh opened her mouth, deepening the kiss and pressing herself closer against him.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before they broke apart breathing heavily.

They remained silent, neither wanting to break the moment. Tosh played with the strands of hair at the base of Jimmy’s neck while he caressed her cheek.

Jimmy leaned forward pressed a soft kiss to her temple and moved to lay on his back. Tosh settled on herself on her side, curled into him and nuzzled his chest.

Tosh didn’t want to talk about what had happened or what would happen when they got back home, she just wanted to stay in this moment. This uncomplicated, happy, and safe moment.

It seemed as if Jimmy felt the same way. He remained quiet but tightened his arm around her in an unspoken promise that he would not let her go or abandon her.

“Let’s get some more sleep,” she yawned, Jimmy nodded as he placed his chin on the top of her head, slipping back into a doze almost instantly.

Sometime later, after the alarm had rung and neither of them had moved, Tosh asked sleepily, “Jimmy?”

Her voice drew Jimmy out of his thoughts, and his hand which had been gently caressing her arm stilled. He looked down at her, a ray of morning light breaking through the curtains and falling across the bed and making her dark hair look lighter.

“Yes, Alison?”

“Did you really think I was falling out of bed?”

“Yes, you gave me quite the scare.”

She moved to look up at him, resting her chin on his chest. “Sorry,” she said without a trace of remorse.

Jimmy snorted and leaned forward to kiss her.

With one final kiss and some grumbling Jimmy unwrapped his arms from around Tosh’s waist and got out of bed.

As he sat at the table opening the case file and checking his phone, Tosh asked coyly, “Must you get up and leave me here alone?”

Jimmy glanced over at her, a hungry look in his eyes. “Not all of us get to have a lie in. Some of us have to work,” he teased.

Tosh chuckled. Rolling over to check her phone, she asked, “Any developments?”

Jimmy’s only response was a grumble and Tosh took that to be a no.

Deciding to take full advantage of her opportunity for a lie in Tosh pulled the sheets up to her chin and muttered, “Wake me up in an hour.”

“As you wish Sleeping Beauty,” came the bemused reply.

While Tosh didn’t go back to sleep, she did quite happily spend her extra time in bed curled up on what had been Jimmy’s side of the bed, watching him work.

Her eyes wandered up and down his body. She took in the way his mused hair fell over his forehead, the profile of his nose, his arms which had earlier been wrapped around her, his hands. She wondered what those hands would feel like as they caressed her entire body. His chest, his hips, his legs.

Once or twice he caught her looking. He didn’t seem to mind, in fact he seemed to like it very much from the smile he gave her and the faint blush she saw spreading on his cheeks.

Sometime later when it was too late to go down to breakfast, they ordered room service and Tosh reluctantly got out of bed.

Missing the warmth of the bed as soon as she got up, Tosh cheekily pulled on one of Jimmy’s jumpers. He didn’t say a word, but his eyes never left her body as she put it on and when she sat down opposite him at the table that hungry look from earlier had returned to his eyes.

They checked out of the hotel in late morning and with nothing else to do until it was time to head to the airport, they wandered around the town taking in the sights. During their excursion Tosh reached out and took Jimmy’s hand. She gave him a questioning look as she did so, and he smiled happily down at her giving her hand a squeeze.

There was a lot to work out but for now they were both contented to just let this new relationship between them pan out on its own.

///


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta’d so forgive any mistakes. Enjoy!

They caught a taxi to the airport and on their way Sandy phoned. He and Billy had found no record of a Linn Okland arriving by plane or ferry but that they were going through the CCTV and were hopeful that they would find something.

The flight back was as uneventful as the flight over except for the fact that it afforded Jimmy and Tosh more time alone. They were more careful now than they had been wandering the city in case there was someone they knew on the flight. But it didn’t stop Jimmy from discreetly caressing Tosh’s arm, trailing his fingers down her arm, around the back of her hand, up and down the length of each finger. It was a wonderful sensual feeling, and Tosh had to look away a number of times, trying to hold in her smile and not lean over and kiss him senseless.

Their flight touched down on time and they made their way directly to the station where an excited Sandy greeted them.

“Welcome back!”

“What is it, Sandy?” Jimmy asked.

“We’ve found her, we’ve found Linn on the CCTV. We tracked her movements and have traced her to a B&B here in town.”

A grin broke across Jimmy’s face. He clapped Sandy on the shoulder, “Good work, both of you. We’ll go straight there.”

The three piled into Jimmy’s car and headed to the B&B.

“Good afternoon, I’m DI Perez, this is DS McIntosh, and DC Wilson,” Jimmy introduced them, showing the receptionist his warrant card. “Could you tell us which room Linn Okland was staying in?”

The receptionist looked through the database, her brow furrowed. “I’m sorry but we don’t appear to have anyone by that name staying here.”

Jimmy, Tosh and Sandy eyed each other, confused.

Sandy reached into his jacket and pulled out the photo of Linn and Eirik. “This woman, have you seen ‘er?”

“Oh her! Yes, she’s staying with us but the name I have is Nina Dale. Hang on and get you the copy of her passport.”

The receptionist returned moments later with the printout.

Jimmy, Tosh and Sandy all leaned forward to have a look. It was definitely the same woman, but the name and date of birth were completely different.

“She got a fake passport,” Tosh breathed. “Clever. Premeditated.”

Jimmy made a noise of agreement before turning back to the receptionist, “Is she here now?”

“No, I haven’t seen her since early this morning, just before nine.”

“Ok. Thank you for your time. If she does come back ring Lerwick police station immediately, it doesn’t matter what time it is.”

“Yes, of course.”

With that they made their way back to the station.

They checked flights, ferry records, and CCTV but it appeared that Linn was still on Shetland. A bolo went out to the airport and ferry terminals to be on the lookout for her under both aliases.

There was nothing more they could do that night, so Jimmy told them all to go home and get some sleep.

There was an awkward moment between Jimmy and Tosh as they left the station, neither knowing what to say or do now that they were back home, or even how discreet they should be. In the end they both went their separate ways with nothing but silent looks of longing across the incident room to keep them company.

Even though they had only stayed together for only three nights returning home to cold, empty beds was unnerving and quite lonely. They missed each other.

///

First thing the following morning Sandy called back to the B&B to check if Linn had returned. Some of her belongings were still there but she was nowhere to be found.

Back at the station, Tosh, leaning against her desk, watched Jimmy pace up and down the room thinking.

“If she hasn’t returned to the B&B but her stuff is still there it might mean she doesn’t feel safe going back there.”

“Do you think she saw us yesterday?” Tosh asked.

Jimmy nodded, “She migh’ have done. Which means she’ll be looking for an escape.”

“We’ve got the airport and ferry covered,” Billy added.

“Aye, but she’s smart and if she does know we’re onto her she won’t make it easy for us to catch her.”

Tosh frowned, “Do you think she’ll try and steal a boat?”

Jimmy shook his head. “I don’t think so. From what we’ve gathered it doesn’t look like she’s had any experience with boats or sailing.”

“So, what so we do?” Tosh pressed.

Jimmy stopped pacing. “We can’t stay sitting around waiting for her to make an appearance. Billy get on to Sandy, I want him and a couple of uniforms at the airport looking for her. Tosh, you and I are going to the ferry.”

The dock was already fairly busy, a large crowd of tourists not long off the ship all moving about the place, chatting, taking photos, when the pair arrived.

Jimmy and Tosh separated, going in different directions searching the crowd.

The joined up again in the very centre of the dock.

“Anything?” Jimmy asked.

“No, nothing,” Tosh replied with a shake of her head.

Jimmy sighed and moved off again.

Tosh turned in a slow circle, her eyes straining to find Linn. But she found nothing. Just when she was about to give up a figure caught her eye. It was not that the person stood out, the opposite in fact, but there was something about them that was trying a little too hard not to be noticed. The coat with the high collar hiding the face, the hat pulled low, and the slightly hunched nature of the posture.

“Sir,” Tosh called though the crowd and nodded in the direction of the figure.

Jimmy’s eyes darted to where Tosh was indicating. He saw what she had seen and nodded to her in agreement.

Tosh moved left to cut in front of the figure while Jimmy went right to come up from behind.

They had been right, it was Linn. They were a few meters out when she noticed them.

Linn drew up short, her eyes on Tosh. She glanced behind and spotted Jimmy. Her posture changed as she prepared to run.

“Don’t do it, Linn,” Tosh called.

“There’s nowhere to run to,” Jimmy added.

Linn’s eyes were wide, her gazing darting between Tosh and Jimmy. She ran.

“Damn it!” Tosh hissed and gave chase along with Jimmy.

Linn didn’t get very far, she never thought she would. It had been a futile, desperate, last-ditch attempt of the cornered.

After a brief struggle they had her handcuffed and Jimmy nodded to Tosh to do the honours.

“Linn Okland, I am arresting you on the suspicion of murdering Eirik Groven. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court.”

Linn remained silent, glaring at the pair of them but she didn’t resist any further as Tosh led her back to the car and they made their way to the station.

Linn asked for a solicitor the moment they reached the station, so they were unable to question her straight away, but they were confident they had a solid case against her. They found Eirik belongings stuffed in the bottom of her bag, with what looked like spots of blood on them and they were in no doubt that the foreign DNA the Inverness post-mortem had found on Eirik’s body would match Linn’s.

The duty solicitor arrived, and the interview began. At first Linn refused to comment but as Jimmy pressed her on her relationship with Eirik she eventually slipped up.

“He wouldn’t listen, I told him we were perfect for each other, but he wouldn’t listen. But I showed him,” she had hissed.

A full confession quickly followed. How she had tracked Eirik to Shetland, followed him around the island, confronted him at the lighthouse, lost her temper and killed him. How she had tried to clean the blood and hide his body but passing cars had frightened her off and she didn’t manage to do either.

With Linn safely locked in the cell, charged her with Eirik’s murder, Jimmy went to fill Rhona in while Tosh and Sandy started on the paperwork.

He returned sometime later to make a start on his own mountain of bureaucracy which needed to be filled out and written up.

The afternoon passed quietly, all four attending to their own tasks.

As evening drew in Tosh was the first to finish. She gathered the pages strewn across her desk and placed them as neatly as she could into a folder which she then dropped over to Jimmy’s desk.

“All done,” she said quietly.

Jimmy looked up catching her eye, “Thanks. You should head home. Get some rest.”

Tosh wanted to joke that she had had a lovely relaxing lie-in two days ago and was well rested, but she didn’t. She didn’t know where they stood now. So, she just smiled and said, “I will.”

She returned to her desk and gathered her things before wishing everyone goodnight and heading out.

Jimmy watched her leave, a feeling of dread settling in his stomach. He felt as if he was losing her, that if he didn’t go after her now, they may end up going back to just being friends and colleagues. He didn’t want that. Not at all.

He got up from his desk as calmly as he could manage, given that every cell in his body was telling him to run, run after her. He needn’t have worried though, Sandy and Billy barely noticed he had moved.

Tosh had just rounded the gates outside when he called after her, “Tosh?”

“Hmm?” she queried, turning around.

He drew level with her, a little breathless with anxiety, “Do you want to come over to mine later, for dinner?”

A bubble of happiness blossomed within Tosh. She blushed, “Aye, I’d like that.”

Jimmy smiled, “Say around seven?”

Tosh nodded, a grin of her own breaking out. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, “See you then.”

Tosh started walking down the street but turned back to see Jimmy still watching her. She gave him a sultry smile before continuing on her way home, thinking of how a simple computer error may have just been the best thing to happen to her.

///

_Fin_


End file.
